Run!
by Temporal Austenite
Summary: Alaska and the Doctor have one word in common, one verb that they live by: Run. Alaska met the Doctor when she was only eight, and he told her to run. Then he left, but he didn't come back in time. Please read and review!


_First baby step into a new fandom! I usually write Doctor Who, but I love John Green's novel a lot, and figured I tried my hand at this story with a crossover.  
The Doctor and Alaska had one word in common, one verb-run!  
My beta told me this was good and gave me the go ahead, so please read!

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She was eight, sitting in the police waiting room.

She was eight, and her mom was gone, and there would be no more trips to the zoo, no more monkeys, and no more bears.

She was eight and she was sitting alone in a police waiting room, without a mother, scared and afraid and crying silently, because it was all her fault. Because she couldn't stop crying.

At least, she was alone until a tall man with big ears came in. He looked around the room until his piercing blue eyes land on her and her name tag that she had gotten at the zoo-"Hello, My Name is" in bold, typed letters, with her hand writing beneath it, too big, "Alaska Young" and just below that, in a small, looping hand writing, "and my mommy loves me."

He was about 900, and he had just lost his entire race.

He was about 900, and he would never see his grand-daughter again, and there would be years ahead full of loneliness.

He was about 900, and he had just destroyed his entire race, and there was a little girl sitting in a police waiting room, crying all alone, and he couldn't stand it. Even if he didn't know what was wrong.

So he sat down next to her and said hello. "Where is your mother?"

Alaska burst out in tears and started wailing. The Doctor froze and tried to comfort her, but was unable-she hadn't stopped crying since she'd seen the anger and disappointment in her father's eyes. Not even the old Gallifreyan would be able to help now.

"What's wrong?" He tried again.

"I don't have a mom." She whispered, "I don't have a mom, and it's all my fault. I did something awful."

The Doctor looked down at the child, his heart breaking. "I did something awful too."

She looked at him through the tears that filled her eyes, "Why aren't you crying?"

He looked down, then kissed the top of her head, "Because I'm running. I've been running."

"What's it like?"

"Breathtaking. Amazing. Lonely." The Doctor stood up and took her hand, "Come with me."

"Why?"

"Trust me?" He asked.

She stood up, and nodded at him. He grinned, and lead her outside, to an abandoned alley. "Run. Run around, and don't stop until you're tired. Don't stop." She looked at his eyes and let go of his hand and started sprinting.

…_scared by her inaction into perpetual motion…_

And she ran until she couldn't run anymore, in that alley that night. She ran until she fell down on the ground, to tired to cry anymore.

And the Doctor picked her up and carried her back inside, and whispered in her ear, as she slept,

…_run run run run run_…

Then, he stood up and walked away. A blonde woman stood outside the door, and he pulled her in for a hug. They stood there for a moment, not talking, not moving, until they stepped apart and grasped each other's hands and ran to the time machine.

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The Doctor had planned to come back sooner, and when he came back, it was too late.

They asked about her, Alaska Young, and were met with looks of sympathy.

The police officer turned to Rose, "She was your friend? I'm sorry honey, but she's dead. Died six days ago. They're holding her memorial service today, just down there." He turned to the Doctor, "So sad, just a junior in high school."

The Doctor looked at Rose in shock, and took her hand. They left the police station and walked out to the blue police box. Rose changed into a nice black dress. The Doctor changed his jumper.

He didn't say to Rose, "I can't believe she's gone." He didn't blame himself out loud, that if he had come back sooner, than maybe, just maybe…He didn't say that he would never leave a little girl alone again, not if he could help it.

He didn't have to. Before they left the TARDIS, Rose had wrapped her arms around him and said, "I know. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But I know, and it's not your fault." He hugged her back, tightly, not willing to let go. Rose understood, and it wasn't okay now, but Rose understood that.

They bought white roses at the floral shop, tied with a white ribbon. One rose was a bit wilted, but they took it anyway.

They entered the back way, and stood in the back of the room as it filled with the students from her school. On the other side of the room stood a group of four students, staring at the coffin, the closed coffin. They didn't cry, or say anything to each other or anyone else. They just stood there, staring at the closed lid.

At the end, after all the students had left and her father had gone into the next room, The Doctor took the roses and bent over Alaska Young's coffin and whispered, so that even Rose couldn't hear, "I didn't tell you that you could stop running, Alaska, and I'm sorry."

He stood up and Rose wrapped her arm around his waist. They looked down at the sad sight, surrounded by flowers and goodbyes for a moment. He put the roses down as a final goodbye, and then they left out the back door.

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_I hope you liked it! Please drop me a review to tell me what you ._


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